According to reports former Penguins forward Phil Kessel has been linked to a possible return to Pittsburgh.
NHL Network’s David Pagnotta says the Boston Bruins and Minnesota Wild are also linked to a possible deal with his current team, the Arizona Coyotes.
Kessel spent his first three seasons in the NHL with the Bruins.
Kessel won two Stanley Cups during his time in Pittsburgh, and is a fan favorite, still to this day, but would bringing him back make any sense?
A two-time Stanley Cup champion in his own right, Penguins analyst Jay Caufield tells Cook & Joe if the team is looking to get a forward to play alongside Evgeni Malkin it won’t work.
“There was an issue with he and Malkin before . . . when I say issue, I mean I don’t think that would work with them going forward,” said Caufield.
Malkin and Kessel have had their issues on the ice and it has also been reported that Kessel’s relationship with head coach Mike Sullivan was a difficult one.
While it could be the product of his current situation in Arizona, Kessel is not the same player he was in Pittsburgh.
In 50 games this season, Kessel has 33 points with only six of those goals. He has four even strength goals and two on the power play.
Kessel, now 34, has spent the last three years with the Coyotes. He is in the final year of his contract, has a $6.8 million cap hit, and will be an unrestricted free agent after the season. There is no reason for the rebuilding Coyotes to hang onto him, so the expectation is he’ll be moved before the deadline on March 21.
While the Penguins have struggled lately, they are still one of the better teams in the NHL and general manager Ron Hextall might not want to mess with.